Remove Congressman Howard Coble

[achtungbaby]

The campaign to remove Congressman Howard Coble from his subcommittee chair position is well underway.

Please visit http://removecoble.yellowworld.org and sign the petition!

[achtungbaby]

I've just created a new mini-banner for the Howard Coble site.

http://removecoble.yellowworld.org/removecoble.jpg (http://removecoble.yellowworld.org)

Any YW member who uses the mini-banner to link on their respective homepages, sites -- even forums (aside from this one of course) -- can get a free @yellowworld.org email account with 5mb of space, spam free. PM me for more details.

Feel the love!!

[GraceShieh]

80-20, a political action committee devoted to organizing Asian American voters, has been circulating the following e-mail. Dr. S.B. Woo is the former Lt. Governor of Delaware. Information for 80-20 can be found at 80-20initiative.net.

Here's the message:

In times of uncertainty, fear, economic turndown, and/or war,
people in general, politicians in particular, seek to scapegoat.
Minorities are usually the targets. That happened in WWII. Jews
were slaughtered in Germany. Japanese Americans were interned
-- a form of imprisonment, though not comparable to the Holocaust.

Politicians are scapegoating again. Two months ago, Sen. Lott
reminisced segregation. A few days ago, Rep. Howard Coble,
Republican, NC, said that he agreed with the internment of
Japanese Americans.

Coble said, "We were at war. They (Japanese Americans) were an
endangered species. For many of these Japanese Americans, it wasn't
safe for them to be on the street. ... Some probably were intent on
doing harm to us ...."

Truth or a lie? Let's see what a blue-ribbon government
commission** had to say in 1983:

"In sum, Executive Order 9066 (Pres. F.D. Roosevelt's order to
intern) was not justified by military necessity .... The broad
historical causes that shaped these decisions were race
prejudice, war hysteria, and a failure of political leadership."

In fact, Coble's comment was spurred by a radio show caller, who
pushed for interning Arab Americans. Coble disagreed with that caller
because the U.S. isn't being attacked by "a sovereign nation." The
chilling implication is that he thinks internment may be ok if our
country is being attacked.

Can you be sure that only Arab Americans are in trouble? Could it
one day be Chinese Americans, Korean Ams., Pakistani or Indonesian
Ams. depending on where our nation is having conflicts? Rep. Coble
has power in a critical position. He is the Chairman of the Crime,
Terrorism and Homeland Security Subcommittee.

Mind you, politicians scapegoat AND fly trial balloons. If
YOU sit back & do nothing, who knows what may happen.

80-20 supports Japanese American Citizens League's call for Rep.
Coble to apologize and to resign as the chairman of the Homeland
Security Subcomm. S. B. Woo, President of 80-20, has informed the
Republican leadership that how the Republican party handles this
matter will have a very strong impact on how Asian
Americans will vote in the presidential year of 2004.

80-20 is only as strong as you are! YOU MUST ACT. Fax
(preferred) or e-mail or phone the following leaders.

Speaker of the House, Dennis Hastert, R, IL:
Fax: (202) 225-0697, dhastert@mail.house.gov, Phone: (202) 225-2976

Rep. Tom Delay, R, TX, 10% of his constituents are APAs, Majority Leader
Fax: (202)225-5117, tom.delay@mail.house.gov, Phone: (202)225-4000

Andrew Card, Chief of Staff, The White House
Fax: (202) 456-1907

Governor Marc Racicot, MT, Chair of the National Republican Comm.
Fax: 202.863.8820, info@rnc.org, Phone: 202.863.8500

An example is shown below. However, please use your own words.

I support 80-20's position asking Rep. Coble to apologize & resign
as the chairman of the Homeland Security Subcommittee. A
leader like him threatens my sense of security for my family.
It'll affect how I'll vote in 2004.
Signature
Name, title, profession
Party, particularly if your are a Republican or an Independent
Postal address

No one who is for internment should be chairing the Homeland Security
Subcommittee. Act today to protect YOURSELF AND YOUR CHILDREN.

"The price for liberty is eternal vigilance." -- Thomas Jefferson.




** Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians,
which investigated whether the internment was based on military
necessity.

[kasia]

*bump*

Please continue spreading the word!

[kitty]

AB, Kasia, etc... do you plan on consolidating the petition with the www.modelminority.com petition? are you guys working together?

[achtungbaby]

Originally posted by kittygirl@Feb 11 2003, 12:04 PM
AB, Kasia, etc... do you plan on consolidating the petition with the www.modelminority.com petition? are you guys working together?
I'd be open to that.

[ism]

Any possibility of coordinating with Arab and Middle Eastern groups? I know his statements seem focused on the Internment but as his possible actions based on his comments would most likely affect Middle Easterners first. The sympathetic ones from that group would probably support the petition.

[achtungbaby]

Originally posted by ism@Feb 11 2003, 03:11 PM
Any possibility of coordinating with Arab and Middle Eastern groups? I know his statements seem focused on the Internment but as his possible actions based on his comments would most likely affect Middle Easterners first. The sympathetic ones from that group would probably support the petition.
I phoned the Council on Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the Arab American Anti-Discrimination Committee but haven't heard back from 'em. Kasie's also been spamming Arab American college students nationwide :D

[kasia]

*bump*

meet with with other YW members and help gather signatures for our petition. see here (http://forums.yellowworld.org/index.php?act=ST&f=27&t=6088&st=15&#entry80530).

[johnpvee]

w00t w00t yellowworld crew representin in hollywood today! 600+ signatures =) (actually... have we counted?)

[achtungbaby]

Originally posted by johnpvee@Feb 15 2003, 10:27 PM
w00t w00t yellowworld crew representin in hollywood today! 600+ signatures =) (actually... have we counted?)
Thanks for bein' there dood.

700+:)

[lethal]

Wish I was out ther ewith you guys. Great work!

[USA#1]

Hi:

I (like you) have made a lot of decisions, some of them bad. But at the time I made the decision, it was the best I could do for the give circumstance. I never knowingly or purposefully made a bad decision. I take responsibility for it. I believe that this is true for everyone and nations (made up only by people) do the same too.

The interment of some Americans during WWII was a bad decision, but we only know this by looking back. Sadly, no one at that time was against it. Senator Coble accurately reflects the ideas and circumstance at this moment in time. And his statement is taken from the FBI who reported on this subject; he is quoting them - (not a bad source).

I also make some bad decisions while I am here at work and I get the opportunity to correct my mistakes and move on, we all do this, Coble too. You don't loose your job for making a mistake, especially if it is likely not to be a mistake.

Can you forgive this person instead of seeking revenge for what may be mistake?

[ism]

We cannot forgive him if he never asks for an apology.

Not acknowledging he is wrong means it is possible he will make such a mistake again. I am not out for revenge, as that would accomplish nothing. I am merely trying to prevent any mistakes from happening. Considering he is in a powerful position to enact legislation that affects us all, his next mistake could be a sin.

[SunWuKong]

Originally posted by USA#1@Feb 17 2003, 11:37 PM
Hi:

I (like you) have made a lot of decisions, some of them bad. But at the time I made the decision, it was the best I could do for the give circumstance. I never knowingly or purposefully made a bad decision. I take responsibility for it. I believe that this is true for everyone and nations (made up only by people) do the same too.

The interment of some Americans during WWII was a bad decision, but we only know this by looking back. Sadly, no one at that time was against it. Senator Coble accurately reflects the ideas and circumstance at this moment in time. And his statement is taken from the FBI who reported on this subject; he is quoting them - (not a bad source).

I also make some bad decisions while I am here at work and I get the opportunity to correct my mistakes and move on, we all do this, Coble too. You don't loose your job for making a mistake, especially if it is likely not to be a mistake.

Can you forgive this person instead of seeking revenge for what may be mistake?
We are hardly seeking revenge. And we disagree that it was a rational decision even given the circumstances at the time the decision was made. Coble stands by his words that the internment of all Japanese Americans was justifiable because "some Japanese Americans were probably intent on harm", just as "some Arab Americans are probably intent on doing harm". It is not unimaginable that he might think that given the current circumstances, it would be necessary to take away certain civil liberties of Arab Americans just because of their ethnic background - which was exactly what happened to Japanese Americans during WW2. His actions and words reflect on what kinds of decisions he may make in the future. We believe that he is a danger to the civil liberties of law abiding Americans as the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.

[achtungbaby]

Originally posted by USA#1@Feb 17 2003, 08:37 PM
Can you forgive this person instead of seeking revenge for what may be mistake?
I forgive Howard Coble. I'm not going to forget it though.

[shutter]

hey props to everyone here getting the word out on coble. just wanted to let you know that the efforts are paying off and folks are realizing what is going on. today, i learned that the chicago commission on human relations issued a resolution calling for coble to resign (pasted below). as you can see, it's not about revenge...it's about ensuring that the rights of everyone are upheld, even in this difficult time.

Does anyone else know of similar resolutions/measures like this elsewhere in the states?

_________

Text of CCHR resolution follows:

Whereas, Representative Howard Coble was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1984 from the sixth district of North Carolina;

Whereas, Rep. Coble currently chairs the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security;

Whereas, on February 4, 2003 during interview on WKZL-FM in North Carolina, Rep. Coble explicitly endorsed President Roosevelt's decision to incarcerate the Japanese American community during World War II as being necessary to their safety and that of the country;

Whereas, during the same interview, Rep. Coble impugned the Japanese American and Arab American communities, saying, "Some probably were intent on doing harm to us, just as some of these Arab-Americans are probably intent on doing harm to us.";

Whereas, history and the United States government have recognized the grave injustice of incarcerating the Japanese American community during World War II without the benefit of any Constitutional protections;

Whereas, the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Citizens, a government commission, found that the internment was a product of wartime hysteria and failure of leadership;

Whereas, in 1988, President Reagan and Congress acknowledged President Roosevelt's error by enacting the Civil Liberties Act, which offered an apology and redress to the Japanese American community for their internment;

Whereas, Rep. Coble opposed and voted against the 1988 Civil Liberties Act;

Whereas, despite strong objections by other members of Congress to his statements and outrage from the civil rights community, demanding his removal as chair of the Subcommittee of Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security, Rep. Coble continues to assert, "I was just stating historical fact.";

Whereas, comments such as Rep. Coble's only serve to perpetuate misinformation and the dangerous belief that racial profiling and ethnic scapegoating are acceptable practices;

Whereas, Rep. Coble repeatedly refuses to disavow the racist policies of the 1940s and will not apologize for his statements nor resign from his position as chair;

Whereas, the chair of Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security should take seriously the responsibility to protect not only the American people from terrorism but also from those who would strip them of their civil rights;

Whereas, Rep. Coble, by his statements and actions has demonstrated his lack of respect for those rights, irreversibly damaging the trust that the American people and the House of Representatives have placed in him and eliminating any expectation that he would carry out his duties with a respect for the Constitution and for the civil rights of our people;

Whereas, the American people deserve political leaders who make clear and well-reasoned decisions, not assumptions based on ethnic stereotypes;

Whereas, the City of Chicago Commission on Human Relations (CCHR), through its organized response to discrimination, bigotry, and prejudice, works to make Chicago a bias-free city.

Therefore, let it be resolved that CCHR condemns Rep. Coble's statements as irresponsible, inflammatory and offensive;

Be it further resolved that CCHR joins the Japanese American Citizens League, the Asian Pacific American community and other civil organizations in calling for Rep. Coble to apologize for his remarks and resign immediately from position as chair of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security.

[achtungbaby]

Shutter, check out the Press Releases (http://removecoble.yellowworld.org/weblog.php?id=C0_2_1) section on the Coble site. I know the NAACP has also issued a similar resolution.

[amietron]

We're mentioned in an article in the Pacific Citizen, JACL's newsletter. I'll have it scanned and posted tomorrow.

[purezero]

I agree with him that JAs weren't safe on the streets, but to even speculate that they intended to do harm rubs me the wrong way. And like he said, "some," You really can't say anything at all unless it's proven true for ALL.

[kasia]

Originally posted by amietron@Feb 25 2003, 08:27 PM
We're mentioned in an article in the Pacific Citizen, JACL's newsletter. I'll have it scanned and posted tomorrow.
thanks, amy.

[amietron]

Originally posted by kasia@Feb 26 2003, 09:35 AM
thanks, amy.
Sorry. I forgot the paper at home. It'll be up tomorrow. I promise.

[zooropa]

Test

[kasia]

Originally posted by zooropa@Feb 27 2003, 01:19 AM
Test
hi rudy.

[amietron]

http://yellowworld.org/albums/album52/coble1.jpg

want part 2, too?

[zooropa]

Test

[SunWuKong]

hi rudy
you're looking delicious today

[achtungbaby]

Originally posted by amietron@Feb 27 2003, 02:17 PM
want part 2, too?
Yes please...

[ism]

I can OCR the article to Acrobat(pdf) format and/or text if you're interested.

[achtungbaby]

.dpf would be great, thanks

[purezero]

F.A.Q. on Rep. Coble's Views on World War II Internment (http://www.house.gov/honda/InCongress/Coble/coble_faq.html)

Woo. Asian politicians.

[ism]

Acrobat (pdf) of the JACL article (http://blooboo.com/yw/JACL-Coble.pdf)
will be updated to include the rest of the article when Amie posts the 2nd part
I proofed it a few times, but if any corrections are needed, plz. PM me